"KEVIN JOSEPH TANNER! You get back here right now!"

"Aw Chris. Its just rain."

"NOW!"

Realizing Chris wasn't happy with his romp through the rain and mud, Vin headed back to the tented area over the campfire.

They all woke to a rainy day. Chris dreaded camping with active boys when it rained. It was a good thing he had the wisdom to bring the extra tent to create a roof over the campfire area or he would have killed a few brothers already this morning.

JD had awakened with his usual energy and was finally settled in for an afternoon nap. Now Vin decided to make a mad dash in the rain just to irritate Chris; or so Chris thought.

As Vin entered the dry area, Chris grabbed his arm and gave him a firm swat on the backside. "If you do that again, you'll find yourself taking a nap too, understood?"

"Yes sir." Vin walked over to where Ezra was sitting and joined him. He looked over at Buck, who was enjoying a cup of hot coffee in peace. "Hey Buck?"

"Yeah Vin?"

"Since JD is takin' a nap, could you tell us more of the story?"

"You mean what Roy found when he got to the cabin?"

"Yeah. Was Tom alive or was he dead too?" Vin asked.

"Well, when Roy climbed up the path he found the front door wide open and in the doorway was his friend's body."

"What happened?" Vin asked.

"Tom's body was twisted in an agony of death, the table and dresser knocked over, the rifle off to one side. The rifle had not even been fired! What could possibly have caught brave Tom so suddenly that he couldn't even get a shot off?

"Roy now knew what he had to do. He could not return home now, he had to find out what mystery the Blue Mist held. He had to avenge his friends' deaths! Oh, how he wished he had stayed with Tom. How could he have been so stupid to have let him stay in this cabin alone, but now he had to make all of that up to both of his friends.

"He immediately returned to the tent camp. There he got nails and a hammer. He brought extra kerosene for the lantern and two extra lanterns. He brought rope and some old, empty cans. He would return to the cabin and avenge the death of his friends, no matter what.

"Weighted down with his supplies, he took a last look at the now abandoned tent camp. He trudged up the now familiar streambed that he and his friends had worked together for so long. At the cabin he noted that the old clock which his friends had started was still ticking, and the time seemed correct. He took nails and went to work on the windows, boarding them up, nailing them soundly shut. Nothing could possibly get in. He strung the empty cans on the rope around the cabin, so he could hear anyone or anything, approach. He raked the dirt so that he could see any footprints the next day. Finally, everything outside seemed ready. He shut the door of the cabin for the last time and firmly nailed it shut.

"He moved the dresser in front of the door. Thinking to further block it, he tried to move the large trunk located along one wall of the cabin. The trunk was too heavy to move. Opening it he found only a layer of old clothes, a belt, and a few odd items. The trunk had been nailed to the floor. Leaving it there, he filled the kerosene lanterns. He made sure the rifle was loaded and then started the long wait for night." As Buck went to continue, he heard JD yell his name and start crying. "Well, boys. I guess you'll have to wait until tonight to find out what happens." Buck got up and went in to JD.

"He's got great timing." Vin groused.

"Don't be blaming JD. You were luck to get more of the story while JD napped." Josiah added.

"Besides, the rain is letting up and we're gonna need some more wood. Why don't you all go see if you can find some that isn't too wet." Chris ordered.

Everyone but Josiah headed out. Josiah smiled. "We don't need more wood brother Chris. Especially not wet wood that won't burn."

"Really?" Chris smirked. "We may not need wood, but I need them to go look for some." Chris sat down with a sigh. "God I hate it when it rains."

Josiah sat with him. "They do tend to get to be too much when cooped up. All but Ezra."

"Who I'm surprised isn't asleep in his bedroll."

"He was gonna take a nap until Vin suggested some more of the story. I think he's enjoying it. Come to think of it, have you noticed he's stopped complaining about camping in general?"

"He's enjoying the whole experience and I'm happy about that. But what I'm really happy about it that in lest than a week, ALL of them will be in SCHOOL."

"What day are we headed back?"

"Well, if it continues to rain, I was thinking of heading back tomorrow. But if it clears up, the day after tomorrow."

"That gives us, what? Four days until school starts?"

"Not soon enough if you ask me. It has been a very long summer."

"That's the truth." Chris and Josiah turned to see Buck helping JD with his britches and boots.

"Buck, you've been playing deputy most of the summer." Josiah teased.

"Until he got shot." Chris added. "You need to learn how to duck Bucklin."

"I'll show you how to tuck." Chris easily dodged the swing Buck made for his heed.

"Where are the boys?" Buck asked changing the subject.

"Gathering wood." Josiah smiled.

"WOOD? Wet wood? What good is that?"

"Gives us some peace." Chris said.

"Ah. I get it. A fools errand."

"You would know."

"Hey!"

"I said NO!"

"But Chris. I'm tired of beans. I want some fish. It won't take long." Vin whined.

"What does NO mean?" Chris was tired and a little frustrated with his headstrong little brother.

"Means you don't want me ta have any fun, just sit and do nothin'! I'm bored!" Vin yelled.

"Boy you are pressing your luck. It is to dangerous down by the stream because of the rain, not because I want to keep you from your fun."

"Ain't dangerous either. I'm a good fisher."

"I'm not arguing with you Vin. The answer is NO. End of story." Chris moved toward the campfire to get ready for dinner.

Vin was angry. He didn't want beans. He was cold and wet but worst of all he was bored. //What does Chris know// Vin headed toward the stream.

Chris turned to see Vin stalk off toward the stream. "Okay! That's it." Chris walked after Vin. Buck motioned toward Josiah.

"Ezra? Nate? Let's go see if we can find some berries for dessert. Buck you and JD want to join us?"

Buck looks toward Chris and Vin and said, "Yeah I think we better."

Everyone scattered as Chris dragged a protesting Vin back into the camp. Chris was too angry to notice everyone was gone. He sat down on a log and pulled Vin over his lap. As he spanked Vin he lectured him on obedience, not talking back, and anything else he thought was relevant.

Vin struggled and wiggled, but Chris was holding on tight and not slowing his swats. Vin was in tears by the time Chris stopped. He held Vin in front of him and was going to say something but instead just hugged Vin. He held his sobbing little brother for a while. It wasn't until he heard Vin apologized did Chris notice the camp was empty. Chris wiped Vin's tears away and smiled.

"I forgive you Vin." Chris looked around. "I wonder where your brother's are? I must have scared them off."

"Maybe." Vin tried to stop his crying and had managed by the time Josiah and Buck returned with brothers and blackberries.

"We brought dessert." JD bounced.

Vin tried to smile. "Looks good JD."

"You okay, Vin?" JD asked.

"Yeah. I'm okay." Vin looked up and saw Josiah and Buck wink at him. Vin even found understanding in Ezra and Nathan's eyes. Vin smiled back and ruffled JD's hair.

Chris interrupted with the announcement that supper was ready and boys needed to wash up.

Dishes were cleared, washed and put away as Josiah and Buck started the evening coffee. Vin was concerned that his earlier behavior was going to keep Buck from the story, so he walked over to Chris with a cup of hot coffee and handed it to him.

"Thanks Vin." Chris took a sip and noticed Vin wanted to ask something. "What Vin?"

"Are you... Can Buck finish his story?"

"Yes he can."

"Can I stay up to hear it?"

"Are you afraid because of earlier I will send you to bed early?"

"Yes sir." Vin kept his eyes on the ground.

"What would you do if I did say you had to go to bed, without a story?"

"I'd go, but I'd be sad. I's real sorry about disrepectin' you earlier, so's I deserve ta go to bed early."

"I forgave you earlier Vin. We have all been tired and being cooped up with the rain never helps. I'm not planning on sending you to bed early. If Buck wants to continue he can and you can stay up to listen. Okay?"

"Yes sir!" Vin's smile made the world right again. Chris gathered him into a hug.

"I love you cowboy."

"Love you too COWBOY!" Vin giggled.

"HEY! Watch it little brother."

Buck entered the area and smiled at Chris and Vin. "I'm putting Little Bit to bed."

Twenty minutes later Buck was ready to continue his story. "Almost finished boys. Let's see, where were we?"

"Roy had locked himself in the cabin and was waitin' fer night." Vin bounced.

"So I was. Well Night comes suddenly in the mountains. When the sun finally lowers toward the horizon, it will suddenly dip behind a mountaintop and be quickly lost from view. Shadows appear immediately and soon thereafter it is night.

"With night in this valley comes more than darkness. The dreaded blue mist starts forming in the chasms and rivulets that form the valley on the mountainside. As Roy waited, he watched the clock. Soon it was 10PM and the mist started swirling beyond the cabin door, filling the basin of the river and sliding its way down to the abandoned tent camp. Fingers of mist slid between now empty tents.

"At the cabin Roy continued to wait. His heart pounding, he though of his friends and he thought of his own danger. The night deepened and outside the mist covered the cabin. He listened intently for any sound amongst the tin cans outside, any evidence of movement from the nearby forest.

"And finally he DID hear something. At first it was a quiet whisper. Then more of a hiss, it sounded close, very close to the cabin. Could it be a snake? Or a whole coil of snakes? Surely there would have been some sign earlier when the others had been killed.

"The hiss was close, near the window. SUDDENLY HE FELT HIS THROAT CLOSE UP. He thought he was losing his sight, the cabin was becoming darker! No! It was the kerosene lights, they were flickering out!

"AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!!" Buck tried to stay serious as everyone jumped as he raised his voice. "VIOLENT SPASMS TWITCHED HIS BODY, HE GASPED FOR AIR, HE STRUGGLED TO ESCAPE! He couldn't breathe! The light from the lamps was out, the hissing, more of a sighing was louder now. Its location was easy to identify. It was coming from the EMPTY TRUNK!

"He grabbed at the dresser and threw it aside. The planks! He ripped at the planks, the spasm shaking his body!" Buck paused.

"Don't stop now." Nathan said.

"Well, Early the next day a group of men went up into the valley. It was the group of old miners, leading a posse from the nearest town. Upon finding the cabin sealed shut, they took their picks to the door and smashed their way through. Inside they found the contorted body of the last of the three friends."

"Dead?" Vin asked.

"Yes sir. Deader than a beaver hat."

"Is that it?" Nathan asked.

"What happened? Did they ever find out?" Ezra added.

"It's a mystery boys."

"That's it? What did the posse find out?" Nathan asked.

"They found out that all of the Larabee brothers were still awake."

"Not funny Bucklin." Vin said.

"It's time for bed anyway. Maybe Buck will revel the mystery on our way home tomorrow." Chris herded everyone to bed.

Bedrolls were packed, tents were taken down and after a quick breakfast of biscuits and fatback, the entire family headed home. From the moment the boys woke up, they started pestering Buck to revel the mystery of the Blue Mist.

Chris was on his horse with Vin and Buck had JD. Ezra and Nathan had ridden their horses while Josiah drove the chuck wagon. Halfway home the group stopped for a rest and some lunch. Ezra, Nate, and Vin were wishing JD would fall asleep after lunch and their wish came true soon as the horses started to move. Buck was watching the 'vultures' circle when JD nodded off. He had to laugh at the persistence of his siblings.

Chris rode up next to Buck and JD. "I think you had better spill it while the Sprout is asleep, or we aren't going to get any rest when we get home. I have plans of dinner, a bath and bed for everyone."

"Bath? Yuck." Vin mumbled.

Chris heard him and gently tickled him. "Ok. Ok. I give up." Vin squealed.

"Okay boys." Buck announced. "I'll tell you what the posse found." The group stopped and Buck switched JD in front of his saddle to Chris'. That way Vin could ride in front of Buck and hear better. JD stirred for a moment during the transition and then settled in Chris' arms. Vin climbed up with Buck and Ezra and Nathan pulled up along each side of Buck.

"Everyone here?" Buck smiled at the impatient sighs. "Okay. The posse decided that since so many people had died in the cabin, they would just tear down the cabin. So they started tearing it down, board by board. When the reached the flooring, they also noticed the old trunk nailed to the floor. Breaking it apart they made an incredible discovery."

"What?" All three asked at once.

"The trunk apparently had a secret, false bottom. It covered a shaft leading into a hidden mine. And that mine proved to be the Mother Lode! Rather than claim this rich vein of ore for what it was, the miner had simply staked a claim and built his cabin over the spot. Then he covered the opening with the trunk, a much better hidden entrance than a trap door under a rug in the cabin."

"But what killed the miner and the three boys?" Ezra asked.

"Well, unknown to the old miner, he eventually reached a pocket of deadly gas within his mine. When night fell in the valley, the air pressure would drop. This caused the blue mist to rise up from the ground. But inside the cabin, it allowed the mine shaft to start blowing air out its opening, just as a cave entrance will do when the pressure is right. But this mine air was laced with deadly gas, which, when it caught its victim, shook them with spasms and a very quick death."

"What happened to the mine?" Ezra asked. Nathan started to give Ezra a disapproving look but remembered what Josiah told him about Ezra this week. //Jury's still out Ez//

"I heard tell that the mine had the biggest and richest deposits of gold ever found in it. It eventually became the Empress Mine, but it had a tragic beginning, one that killed three good friends in the middle of their life of adventure together."

"Is this a true story Buck?" Vin asked.

"That's for you to decide. I'm only the storyteller."

For the rest of the trip home, they asked Buck questions and Chris was quite impressed with how Buck fielded every one of them. The conversation only changed when JD woke up. No one wanted to make JD feel like he missed a story while camping.

It was supper time when they entered the yard and Chris could smell something wonderful coming from the house. //Leave it to Nettie to know when we would be back// They quickly unloaded the wagon and took care of the horses.

Nettie was happy to have the boys' home and had made a wonderful welcome home meal for them. After supper, everyone had a bath, starting from the youngest to the oldest. Boys were tucked into their warm beds and the house settled with Josiah and Chris having coffee and just relaxing.

Buck came down to say his good nights. "School starts soon. Then the ranch can get back to normal." Buck said as he sat.

"What's your idea of normal brother Buck?"

"I don't know Josiah. It's just been a long summer vacation."

"Yes it has." Chris agreed. "But if you think those boys going to school will cause things to quiet down, you're nuts. First it will be JD crying he doesn't want to go, then homework and fights and plays and colds and snow days and..."

"Okay. I get your point."

"Good. As long as you don't think life around here will ever be normal."

"Maybe not normal, but I wouldn't trade the chaos for anything." Buck said as he rose to go to bed.

"Me neither Buck." Chris said as he leaned back and closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Amen, brothers. Amen."

The End (At least until the first day of school)